Thread: I thought i would share these with you !!!

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Originally Posted by IC2

Some time when you go to a fair size car show, crawl under some of the home built, kinda rough cars and you will be surprised at the spit, baling wire assembly and welds holding them together. I'm a mediocre welder at best, but when I bought my little mig, I took a course at the local welding school. Six evenings over 3 weeks - a half hour of classroom, 2-1/2 hours of burning wire.

To be honest Dave your absolutely right, the amount of poor welding i see on cars in the U.S. and in the U.K. is mind blowing, When people bring their cars to me for something i often have a look around and some things i see blow my mind !!!

I recently had a guy bring his car around as his rear shock mount had broke, while i was underneath i noticed that the brake pipe wasnt secured to the frame rail, on further inspection i could see why not, the brake line to the rear had no flexible in it It was all hardline so they left it unclipped to allow for movement

Another one i see a lot is cheap bolts in suspension arms, they are usually bent but i did see one car that had been assembeled with studding and a nut on either end

Steve, just when you THINK you've seen it all..................

Don

Pitiful as they are, they are successful welds and done along time ago unless it has been sitting exposed to the elements for a number of years. Don't misunderstand me, i have a huge TIG machine and know how to use it, those are horrible looking but they are still stuck together. I have seen more nasty looking welds hold than i have real pretty looking tig welds fail - if you know what i mean. It might look like a bunch of grapes on the outside but if they have penetration on the inside then it'll hold - although there doesn't look like much penetration either. It had to have something going for it or it've crashed years ago.

Originally Posted by ojh

Pitiful as they are, they are successful welds and done along time ago unless it has been sitting exposed to the elements for a number of years. Don't misunderstand me, i have a huge TIG machine and know how to use it, those are horrible looking but they are still stuck together. I have seen more nasty looking welds hold than i have real pretty looking tig welds fail - if you know what i mean. It might look like a bunch of grapes on the outside but if they have penetration on the inside then it'll hold - although there doesn't look like much penetration either. It had to have something going for it or it've crashed years ago.

the world was built with oxy acetylene welding and stick rods alot is still working. i still weld with stick on fast fab work and welding of iron .as for weld s Porsche had built road race car frames out of alum in the 60s to70s i think some of the worst welds i ever seen but they did hold

I hope those Rat Rods are "Trailer Queens " I wouldn't want to share the road with
them .

Originally Posted by ojh

Pitiful as they are, they are successful welds and done along time ago unless it has been sitting exposed to the elements for a number of years. Don't misunderstand me, i have a huge TIG machine and know how to use it, those are horrible looking but they are still stuck together. I have seen more nasty looking welds hold than i have real pretty looking tig welds fail - if you know what i mean. It might look like a bunch of grapes on the outside but if they have penetration on the inside then it'll hold - although there doesn't look like much penetration either. It had to have something going for it or it've crashed years ago.

Its never been on the road mate, thankfully !!!

Maybe alot of grinding and a little more welding is in order.

Now you guys know why we have our certification system down here...To protect us,and them,and everyone else on the roads...We are still allowed to build pretty much what we want,but,to a strict bunch of rules..But,we do have it easier,I think,than Aussie..

Here,try this..It isnt actually as scary as it looks,we have a fairly large loose leaf book,that was produced,and we have just had an update,here is the website..
www.lvvta.org.nz

Since Dave S is looking for ideas for his Chevy gasser, I thought I would toss out some pictures of this little jem that is on Ebay right now. Don't you wonder what genius came up with THIS great front axle idea?

The ad says "*She's Ready for You to Customize!". Sure, then just drive me straight to the funeral home and cut out the middle man. Camber, we don't need no stinkin' camber!!!

Don

Oh, check out how he welded a tab onto the tie rod to terminate the drag link!!!!! And they say good workmanship is a thing of the past!!!!!!!!!!

Wow!!! Scary, Don, that looks like a single trailer spring, Brian

Speaking of camber--on this car, altho the positive camber has become negative by turning the axle over---it is a lot less negative(and will stay constant) than many cars out there that will run with the front end up some--(1st/2nd gear) and won't suffer from extreme bump steer issues

hahaha,thats gona take a lot of grindin!!!hahaha

Thats a parabolic spring, they have a bad habit of breaking

Originally Posted by Oldmanb

Wow!!! Scary, Don, that looks like a single trailer spring, Brian

Originally Posted by roadster32

Thats a parabolic spring, they have a bad habit of breaking

I think the spring is the least of that cars problems! Well, actually, the forces caused by that axle wanting to right itself might put some very strange twists on the springs.

The sad part is that some yokel built this car for the sole purpose of unloading it onto some unsuspecting and inexperienced hopeful rodder who will actually try shoving a big block in it and driving it. To me it verges on criminal..............no different from those "restoration shops" that tape over rust holes in frames and undercoat them so no one will notice.

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

I think the spring is the least of that cars problems! Well, actually, the forces caused by that axle wanting to right itself might put some very strange twists on the springs.

The sad part is that some yokel built this car for the sole purpose of unloading it onto some unsuspecting and inexperienced hopeful rodder who will actually try shoving a big block in it and driving it. To me it verges on criminal..............no different from those "restoration shops" that tape over rust holes in frames and undercoat them so no one will notice.

Don

You can see now why we have our annual MOT test

We have badly built cars here too Don, I guess there is more in the U.S. because of the population size.